Barcelona were keen on signing Paul Pogba but refused to meet the player’s asking price, the club’s international advisor Ariedo Braida has claimed.

The player, who now looks poised to resign for Manchester United, made a handful of appearances for the Red Devils back in 2o11 before leaving for Juventus on a free.

Now, the Frenchman is set for a world-record €110-million return to Old Trafford, with Real Madrid also among the sides having withdrawn their interest in the player.

‘Clearly when you talk about figures that go over €100million, you need to reflect on them,’ Braida told Canale 21.

‘It all comes down to the TV rights that brought in a lot of money and completely changed the logic of the transfer market. Clearly all players are overrated to some degree or another at this stage.’

Braida as confirmed the Catalan giants once held an interest in the player.

‘We know Pogba, he is a player who proved to be very strong and, for a while, Barcelona were interested, but clearly the dynamics changed and once the figures reached a certain point, we were no longer interested.

‘It’s hard to keep up at some stage, because you don’t only have to consider the price of the transfer fee, but also the player’s salary. Over the course of five years, that can amount to tens of millions,’ he concluded.

The 23-year-old Pogba made 41 appearances for Juventus last term managing nine goals and assisting a further 12.